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Southfield City Administrator James Scharret dies at 71

Southfield City Administrator James Scharret, 71, died Thursday following a brief illness.

Scharret, of Beverly Hills, began working for the city of Southfield in 1974 as a research analyst and worked his way up through positions of increasing responsibility until he was appointed the city administrator in 2008.

Deputy City Administrator Fred Zorn, who will assume the duties of city administrator until a new one is appointed by the Southfield City Council, said Scharret was well-known for his work ethic, which included being a constant presence in City Hall.

"He also took the city's fiscal responsibility very importantly; Southfield's budget under his leadership earned awards," he said.

One accomplishment Zorn said Scharret was very proud of was leading Southfield through a period of time when its tax base declined by 40 percent without laying off any city employee.

"He believed we worked hard to get the most talented workforce, and he wanted to retain all of them," he said.

Scharret served on the boards of the Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority, Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and Local Development Finance Authority.

Scharret is survived by his wife, Carolyn.

Visitation is scheduled for 2-8 p.m. Monday at A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home, 32515 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak. A funeral service is set for 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Southfield Pavilion, 26000 Evergreen Rd., Southfield.

Memorial donations can be made to the Elizabeth Scharret Memorial Scholarship (Mercy High School, Farmington Hills), the Southfield Public Library and Forgotten Harvest. Cards may be sent to City Administration, 26000 Evergreen Road, Southfield, Mich. 48037 for forwarding to the Scharret family.